Reader’s Life Magazine
5-9: Nicole A. Schmidt
1-13: Collette Cameron
14-18: Braxton A. Cosby
19-24: Jenna E. Johnson
27-32: Jaci Wheeler
34-36 C.F Waller
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The Poetry in Your Prose By Nicole A. Schmidt The life of a writer is a difficult one, constantly assaulted by ideas, dialogues, characters…always trying to reconcile the next piece… Then there’s the age ole question: Is this good enough? Why would anyone want to read this? Despite the whirlwind of creativity and questions…there is great news. Whether you write blogs, short stories, novels or actual poetry, your writing has a style all its own. Once you acknowledge it, then you can accept it. Once you accept it, then you can advance it.
ACKNOWLEDGE What makes your writing special? Is it poetry v. prose? It is a particular genre: thriller, satire, romance…? Is it your audience: women v. men; teens v. adults? Is your writing humorous? Do you use slang or standard English? Take the time to review your work and identify common elements and themes. You will be surprised at how unique your writing actually is. ACCEPT Sometimes we struggle to see the gems in our own writing because we What makes your writing special? Is it poetry v. prose? It is a particular genre: thriller, satire,
we are consumed with mirroring someone else. While there is something to be said for researching various styles and techniques by reading the work of others, you will not be great until you accept your own unique voice. In the words of the great Maya Angelou, “If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” The reason we admire certain authors is because they found their voice, accepted it as their own and used it to change the literary world. ADVANCE Though this is final step, it is multifaceted and on-going. The first part of advancing is “honing your craft”,the second is “broadening your
horizons”, the third is “paying it forward”. Honing Your Craft As they say, practice makes perfect. The more you write, the stronger your craft becomes. I have been writing poetry for over 16 years and I am glad to say that I’m a much better poet now than I was at 14. Of course, maturity played a huge part in my transformation (the mind and experiences of a teenager are worlds apart from those of a thirty-year old woman who has traveled the world and engaged in a career), but I have also actively worked to improve my craft. Take classes, participate in webinars, find a mentor…
get insight from others who have already been where you are going. Though the journey is just as uniquely yours as your writing, there are certain avenues that intersect for us all. Broadening Your Horizons My favorite author of all-time is J. California Cooper. I remember being a teenager, my mother allowing me to read the collections of short stories from her bookshelf. Despite the stories being about Southern life,at a time long before my existence, and women much older than even my mother, I felt akin to them. I felt as though I was sitting on the porch, walking up the road, and sleeping in the room right next to them,
an invisible participant in the lives of these dynamic individuals. I read all of her short story collections and even wrote a paper on her that my teacher thought would be unsuccessful because she was not as widely known as others. Needless to say, I received an A/B on the paper, but shared the same reservations about reading one of J. California Cooper’s novels. I was terrified that the genius incorporated in her short stories would not translate to her novels. Thank goodness, I was wrong. Her novel, Life is Short But Wide is one of my all-time favorites, still filled with the poetry of J. California Cooper’s prose, but taken to another level.
I shared this rather lengthy “anecdote” to encourage you to do the same. Though I am most comfortable with poetry, I have short-stories and essays, I wrote during high school that I kept and intend to revisit…possibly publish as a book. I can hear what you’re thinking, “possibly publish” and you’re right…those are my intentions, but my words are not hollow. In the last year, I have ventured beyond poetry, publishing blog posts about my experiences in China and even becoming a contributor for an online publication. Though I am still treading water in the river of non-fiction prose, it’s far better than merely watching others from the shore.
Paying It Forward Once you have the slightest experience as a writer, you have insight that can be shared with others. Even being rejected can provide you with valuable information for the new-writer-onthe-block. As hard as it is to believe, there is a place for each of us…because each voice is poetic in its own rite. Just as I am writing this article to encourage you, it is your responsibility to do the same for another.
Collette Cameron A bestselling, award-winning author, COLLETTE CAMERON pens Scottish and Regency historicals featuring rogues, rapscallions, rakes, and the intelligent, intrepid damsels who reform Them. Blessed with three spectacular children, fantastic fans, and a compulsive, over-active, and witty Muse who won’t stop whispering new romantic romps in her ear, she still lives in Oregon with her mini-dachshunds, though she dreams of living in Scotland part-time.Admitting to a quirky sense of humor,
Collette enjoys inspiring quotes, adores castles and anything cobalt blue, and is a self-confessed Cadbury chocoholic. You’ll always find dogs, birds, occasionally naughty humor, and a dash of inspiration in her sweet-to- spicy timeless romances.
1. How many novels have you written? I’ve written eleven full-length novels, four novella’s, and one short story. The shorter stories are harder for me to write. 2. Why did you choose to write Scottish and Regency novels? I adore the Regency era, lexicon, culture, and fashion, but I find the Scots equally fascinating. I am part Scots, you know! Historicals have always been my go-to genre as a reader, and anything set in England or Scotland is has usually been an auto-read for me.Well, until I started writing, and now my reading time is severely limited.
3. What kind of research do you do for the historical novels? I research everything! When I first started writing, I made the mistake of thinking I knew some obvious things, only to find afterward that I’d been wrong. So now, if I haven’t previously researched something, I take as long as I need to get the facts. And even then, one source might say one thing and another source something else! 4. How long does it take you to write one of your novels on average? Well, it depends on the length and what else is going on in my life, of course.Usually,
I can complete a novel in 2-3 months. I’m not a super-fast writer and envy some of my friends who write thousands of words a day! 5. How do you keep coming up with ideas for books? Coming up with the ideas isn’t the hard part! It’s writing fast enough to get them all on paper. I have a notebook I jot ideas in whenever I get them. Right now, I have another fifteen or so stories waiting to be told! 6. What projects are you working on? I just finished Passion and Plunder, the fifth book in my Highland Heather Romancing a Scot series (spring 2017),
and Brette: Intentions Gone Astray, Conundrums of the Misses Culpepper, #3 (January 10, 2017). I’m working on two novella’s for sets with other historical authors, plus a third set, Her Perfect Gentleman will release shortly. I’ll dive in and finish the Highland Heather Romancing a Scot series right after Christmas.
Braxton Cosby Multi-Award Winning and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Braxton A. Cosby creates vivid, original stories that focus on relationships and world building that brings characters to life. Braxton received a lot of his inspiration from watching the accomplishments and exploits of his famous uncle, comedic legend Bill Cosby. Braxton is the CEO of Cosby Media Productions, a full-service entertainment studio that focuses on producing content in the areas of television, film, and print media.
Braxton is also an actor and radio show host. As a writer, Braxton’s novels explore the psychology of human connection, concerning themes of trust, faith and selflessness. He resides in Lawrenceville, Ga with his wife and a scruff Morkie named StarKozy.
Braxton A. Cosby is the author of novels such as “Windgate: The Sect” a YA christian fiction, “The Cape” a novel that is a part of the Dark spores series, And “Solstice” the 3rd and final novel in the Star crossed series. “Solstice” follows William as he journeys to find the star children and find a way to be with Sydney whose biology is slowly killing him, With this we also see the king return to his throne and sydney enter into the final stage of her starchild transformation. The series has seen the characters change and evolve through the three novels, William becomes a much softer person while Sydney finds empowerment
Within herself. Cosby says he studied the stars, the phases of the stars inspired the names of the novels, “Protostar” is birth, “Supernova” Gives life, And “Solstice” is calm and peaceful. He feels he has done a good job tying up loose ends but he has left himself a chance to expand should the occasion arise. “Protostar” is set to become a movie, the script is written and they have began talks with studios. Cosby hopes that it will begin filming in 2017. Earlier this year Cosby also published the novel “The Cape” the 3rd origin story in “The Dark Spores” series
The novel is set in the future where through an incident where some people were given powers, the super powered characters are then forced to choose a side: Good or Evil. The sides then clash on television for the public's entertainment. The heros are treated as celebrities until one commits a murder and confessed on television. The novel takes on a murder mystery twit when a super normal arrives and refuses to choose a side so that he can learn the truth behind the murder. Cosby’s inspiration comes from the way we idolise reality tv stars, he had the thought “What if someone was as flawed as they are powerful”
On this concept the story was built. Next year more will be coming out about the Dark Spores series which is written by three different authors. A short film is in the works for next year. Cosby says that they want it to be similar to the DC and Marvel brands. Cosby has been busy writing “Solstice” as well as “The Cape” but he has also been working on the sequel to “The Sect: The Windgate” This novel follows Ziv as he accepts the responsibility of his position as well as his relationship with Miss Evans and the aftermath of a friend leaving. This novel will have more action and more paranormal than
The first novel. When asked if he had any advice on marketing he said that marketing isn’t easy but he has found that working with bloggers and cross promoting with other authors has proved helpful. Also print is not dead, he has sold quite a few prints of his novels at book fairs and conventions.
Your Characters Have Something to Say: Writing Dialogue By Jenna E. Johnson When I was invited to write an article for the December edition of Reader’s Life Magazine, I wasn’t sure what I might to focus on. I knew I had to stick to something having to do with writing, but that particular subject is so broad it can be difficult to narrow down. So, taking the advice of Trisha Ratliff, I asked my readers what they’d like to hear about and one of the first responses was a request to discuss dialogue. Now, I don’t consider myself particularly strong when it comes to dialogue.
I feel much more comfortable in the field of world building, but again, you might have to ask my readers about that for verification. But dialogue is a subject I haven’t really written much about and so I thought it might be a good learning lesson for both me and for those of you reading this article. And so, I shall endeavor to do my best with regards to this very important aspect of writing. Everyone knows that witty, well-written dialogue can make or break a novel. It is the best way to move a scene along and it is often the part of a book repeat readers will
Will return to time and time again - the words shared between favorite characters. That is definitely the case for me. When I’m reading a good book by a favorite author, it is the snarky, brilliant or engaging lines that keep me laughing and coming back to read them time and time again. So, how does one accomplish such excellent dialogue between their characters? First, I would advise you to have an open mind and to let your imagination work at its own pace. Sure, I sometimes find myself creating dialogue from scratch manually structuring a string of speaking parts that didn’t come from me in a moment of inspiration - but the best lines emerge from
that hidden place in my mind where a great deal of the story is born. When your Muse is taking his or her sweet time getting that information to you, however, there are ways to help speed it along. In order to make dialogue work for you, your readers, and your characters, you’ll need to get to know those characters. Dialogue in a story is used to get ideas across to the reader, establish an emotional connection, embed a deep feeling, or endear a minor character to the main characters. Dialogue is what keeps your readers reading and it is what helps establish the soul of your book.Good dialogue, great dialogue, can often make or break a story.
When I want to write good dialogue for my books, I try to delve into the mind of those characters involved in the situation. Sometimes, my characters establish themselves in my head with not much effort from me. Other times, they stubbornly refuse to talk or share aspects of their personality. When this happens, I try a few things to get them to open up or talk to me.
what do they do for a living?), or ask them awkward or more personal questions (What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done? What would be your ideal date? What do you look for in a life partner?). Not only will you find yourself learning more about your own characters, you might find them offering information you didn’t even ask for.
One exercise I like to use when my characters won’t talk is to have a sit-down interview with them. Pretend you are a reporter for a celebrity magazine or a wellknown newspaper.Ask them the basics (where are they from, what do they enjoy doing in their free time,
Another creative way to get to know your characters is to throw them into different situations to see how they might react. What would happen if your main character had to spend the night on a stranded boat? How would your antagonist behave if he or she was asked to plan a baby shower?
What would your secondary characters do if they teamed up to be part of a talent show act? Be creative (it’s what we do best) and be ready to jot down some good dialogue because you are sure to hear Complaints. You might learn a lot about their personalities and, in turn, will discover what sorts of conversations they are likely to have with your other characters. Awesome! You now know a little more about your characters. Now you need to slow down and listen to what they are saying. Often, when I am in the middle of a new book project, my dialogue doesn’t come to me when I’m actively writing.It is during all the writing ‘down-time’ that characters often
decide it’s time to have their own arguments.Perhaps it is because we writers are finally giving them the room and space they need to speak. While we’re busy plotting and world building and setting the scene while we’re sitting at our desks, our characters’ voices are being overshadowed. So when it’s time to take a shower, or go to bed, or drive to work, our characters finally get to Speak. And although it may be inconvenient, we need to listen. Some of the best conversations between my characters happen during these inconvenient times. Just be sure to keep a notebook and pen within reach and please, pull over if you happen to be driving at the time.
Using beats to break up or add variety is yet another method of creating interesting, active dialogue. An author friend of mine actually introduced me to the term ‘dialogue beat’ because he had noticed I was using this method in my own writing (not by chance, mind you. Like many writers, I learned the craft by mimicking the authors I had read throughout the years. I just had no idea there was an actual term for it). In case, like me, you hadn’t heard of the beat method before, here’s a basic run-down: Beats, especially action beats, are the addition of some form of action taking place between lines of dialogue rather than your typical, ‘he/she said’ this or that. When utilizing beats, your dialogue
gains more life and flexibility. Think of the old adage of showing instead of telling. Show us who the speaker is through their actions. For example: Jane shrugged. “How am I to know what John is thinking?” “You could just ask him,” Clare suggested. And that statement earned a perturbed look from her friend. “Oh, sure. That will go over well.” Jane never ‘said’ anything, but we know, by her behavior, she was the one speaking in the first and third lines of dialogue above. Not only do your readers get a change of scene, but it keeps the story moving even if your characters are standing still.
Dialogue is important, but good dialogue doesn’t have to be an impossible goal to obtain. Don’t forget to talk to your characters and listen to what they are saying. Pay attention to the way they are speaking to the other characters in your story, and if you are having a difficult time getting them to talk, ask them questions. Just remember your characters are people, and they are very real to you and your readers. Don’t ever forget that. If you can see them as your friends, as people you might run into at the grocery store, then the dialogue will come much easier to you. Don’t force it. When everything is finally written down, you can go back and do what you do best:
transform simple words into living poetry. - Jenna Elizabeth Johnson
The Untold Therapy By Jaci Wheeler There are so many different types of therapies available that I can’t even begin to list them all. So, I’m just going to list a few I’m familiar with. Art, Equestrian, water, music, talk, sports, speech, I could literally take up a whole page on just the many different types. Wikipedia came up with a list in the hundreds but my point is that when you ask someone about therapy all of the above and more are mentioned but what I want to talk about today is a type of therapy that isn’t really talked about. Like many people, I have seen a therapist.
They ask you about your problems, they give you better ways of managing your stress and time. It really is very beneficial and I am all for any type of therapy that helps. For the sake of this article I’m going to label that as talk therapy. I did talk therapy for a year and it was amazing and really helped me. I got to the point where I didn’t need to go anymore, and I felt healthy and happy. Several years down the line I got married, had two sweet children who are both on the Autism spectrum and my son also has intellectual delays. So needless to say, I was stressed.
I don’t even think stressed describes how I was feeling. I was exhausted, worn out, and couldn’t stop crying some days. I decided I should probably start seeing a therapist again because I just needed something to help pull me out of whatever I was feeling. The problem was I wasn’t depressed, I didn’t have anything in particular I needed to work on and to be honest talking about my kid’s problems and the stress in my life made me feel more stressed. So, one day I was talking to my husband about how I felt and that I knew I needed to do something but I just wasn’t sure what. I didn’t want to talk about my problems with anyone let alone because
the more I talked about them the worse I felt. I really just needed a release. That’s when my husband brought up the idea of writing a book,which has always been a dream of mine. My very first reaction was to dismiss him off hand. Writing out your thoughts and feelings I’ve heard of, I’ve also done it most of my life, but writing a book? Who has time for that! My second reaction was to ask him if he’d listened to a thing I’d just said. My plate was overflowing with my children’s speech, behavioral and occupational therapies every day so when in the world was I going to find time to write? His response was very sweet and almost childlike.
I will probably never say this to him but I’m finally putting it in writing. My husband is a genius. One night very soon after our conversation I finally got both of my kids back to sleep. I looked at the clock and realized it was almost three am. Many times, as soon as I’d go to bed and finally drift off one of my kids would wake with a night terror. It was almost guaranteed to happen as soon as I fell asleep. So, I would lay away for several hours willing myself not to sleep because I knew as soon as I did the screaming would start.This night instead of crawling into my bed and staring at the ceiling I decided to try my husband’s
idea. I snuck out into the kitchen and I went to the computer. I didn’t write an outline, think of character names, or a plot.I did everything wrong for writing a story. I just sat down and I wrote, and then wrote, some more. My family woke up, I made lunches, took them to school and then I went back home and I wrote. I picked the kids up from school, took them to their various therapies and then I wrote. Evening time was and still is for family so I waited until they went to bed and then I wrote. In two months, I had finished writing a Trilogy. I’d never felt so free in my life as I did writing someone else’s story.
Unlike my own life, I was able to control every single thing that happened. And if something happened that I didn’t like I could easily delete it with one stroke of a key. It was powerful, liberating and very addictive. Writing quickly became my therapy. If I wasn’t able to write for a period of time I would notice myself getting irritable and almost twitchy. My body and mind seriously needed that release. I made sure I only wrote fiction. I couldn’t write anything too heavy or close to my own life. I would put parts of myself into the books, but only those that brought me joy.Once my books were published and I joined my community of authors I was beyond shocked at how
How many authors were just like me. Stay at home moms, many with special needs children or some with a very hard past and demons of their own. After talking to many of them I was so surprised to hear the words “writing is my therapy” from so many different people. We all had different stories, different lives and pasts but the one common thing we shared was that our writing saved us.Words are so powerful. They have the ability to harm or heal. I’ve always been a true believer in words. I have to constantly remind myself that there is power in my words. To be careful what I say and how I say it.If words have the ability to harm than
why wouldn’t they have the ability to heal as well? Everyone has a different story and different needs. Therapy of any kind can be very important to living a healthy life. Talk therapy has saved my life. But it wasn’t what I needed at that particular stage in my life.Maybe you are going through something and you need a different form of therapy to work through your problems. Drug and talk therapy can be a life saver so I’m not trying to suggest to substitute writing for those.Writing therapy I believe is for those people who just need an outlet. Like art, music and animal therapies.It’s a way to unleash our pent-up emotions instead of holding them inside. For some reason
writing therapy isn’t talked about much.You don’t have to become a published author, all you need to do is write. I have more stories unpublished and unread by anyone but myself than I do published by far. I write for me. Writing saves me. It makes me a better person, mom and friend. I’m completely tickled pink that people want to buy and read my stories. My United Trilogy has been out for two years now and it still thrills me whenever someone purchases it and wants to read it. I always think, if only you knew the reason behind it. If only you knew how much those books saved me.
Next time you are feeling overwhelmed or like your skin isn’t fitting how it should pick up a pen or grab your computer and let the words flow from you. Let them wash over and cleanse you from your worries. It’s amazing how we are capable of healing ourselves. I wish I had started writing years sooner now that I know how freeing it is. Don’t wait, start now. Unlock a new world with your fingertips.
C.F Waller Award winning novelist C. F. Waller is a three time medal winner at the Miami International Book Fair. He was also recognized by Shelf Media in 2016 when his novel, Tourists of the Apocalypse, received recognition in their Best Indie Book Contest. He published his first science fiction novel at age forty-seven, after a flight on an ill-fated commercial airliner over the Atlantic Ocean, that nearly became an episode of Why Planes Crash. This experience illustrated for him first hand that writing about exotic or dangerous locales was safer than traveling to them. Since then, he likes to think his meticulous research and storytelling gives readers a clear sense of their grandeur,
without the inherent risk of flying.After narrowly escaping the academic death-grip of several universities, he worked in nightclub, took a turn as a new car salesman, and did hurricane shutter engineering. His favorite authors include Oscar Wilde, Kurt Vonnegut Jr. and Michael Crichton. His favorite novel is "The Picture of Dorian Grey" by Wilde, which inspired a bigger than life oil painting that hangs on his bedroom wall. Though he'll forever be a Midwestern boy at heart, he now lives on the gulf coast of Florida with his wife Tina and one fuzzy feline companion. If he's not working on a new novel, you can find him volunteering at church, playing overly competitive Yahtzee with his spouse, or indulging in an unhealthy addiction
C.F Waller is the author of 7 novels, including “Palindrome”, “Free Dive”, “Tourists of the apocalypse”, and more. He comes from a family that is avid readers. He wrote his first novel at 47 years old and hasn’t stopped yet. His first novel was “Palindrome” a novel that he self published himself, it features a women that is being interrogated about an incident that happened while on her way back to earth after visiting saturn. Waller is a selfprofessed research nerd and researches for months before he begins writing. Hes researched subjects for his novels. Waller says he likes to take a piece of science and stretch it.
His goal is for readers to learn something new with every book he writes. Waller is a three time award winning novelist. He’s won awards for his novels “Free Dive” and “Tourists of the apocalypse”
The novel “Freedive” Is a Sci-fi, techno, thriller. About a set of divers that are kidnapped to search a trench under the ocean. Waller is currently working on a three novel series. The first novel is “The Calling Tree” Which is a story about immortals, the second novel is “The Conduit” He began writing this series to test the waters. He’s favorite novel he’s written is “Tourists of the apocalypse”